debthttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/taxonomy/term/659/all
enHousehold debt to grow three times faster than wageshttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21437
<!-- google_ad_section_start --><div class="field field-type-text field-field-teaser">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>New research shows that official UK growth forecasts are dependent on household debt growing three times faster than pay.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-body">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>New research published today (Thursday 12 February 2015) indicates that official UK growth forecasts are dependent on household debt growing three times faster than pay.</p>
<p>The analysis of Chancellor George Osborne’s economic plans uses forecasts by the Office for Budget Responsibility to compare earnings and household borrowing for the period from 2015 to 2019. </p>
<p>It finds that while wages are forecast to grow at 16 per cent over the period, total household debt is forecast to grow 2.7 times as fast at 42 per cent.</p>
<p>The work has been carried out by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), and backs one of the points made by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in her London School of Economics speech yesterday on the moral and financial failings of austerity. </p>
<p>Strikingly, unsecured household debt is forecast to grow 4.5 times as fast as wages – by 70 per cent between 2015 and 2019. It will reach an average of around £29,000 of unsecured debt per household by 2019.</p>
<p>If the forecasts are met, total UK household debt in 2019 will be 182 per cent of household income. This is significantly above the previous all-time high of 167 per cent immediately before the 2008 crash.</p>
<p>But if households are unwilling to take on so much extra debt, then economic growth is likely to be lower than forecast.</p>
<p>TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady commented: “The Chancellor seems to be hoping for a do-it-yourself recovery, where families run their own deficits and stoke-up their own debt. An average household debt of £29,000 is an awful lot of payday loans, credit card debts and bank overdrafts.</p>
<p>“This is exactly what happened before the last crash, and why we had to bail out banks full of bad debt. If interest rates rise, then many households will be in immediate difficulty.</p>
<p>“In a healthy economy, workers’ wages grow faster than their debts . What we really need is a wages-led recovery, not a debt-fuelled bubble. If this Chancellor continues he will be doing the exact opposite of what we need – his huge cuts to vital services will slow the economy while he encourages families to spend money they don’t have instead. It’s not so much a long-term plan as a dodgy flat-pack self-assembly recovery.”</p>
<p>Ekklesia and others have been pointing out for some time that the debt problem the UK faces is financial, banking and household debt far more than public sector debt – which in turn has been distorted by having to spend on the costs of low wages and deflationary policies. </p>
<p>* Also on Ekklesia: Compelling refutations of the austerity narrative: <a href="http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21247" title="http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21247">http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21247</a></p>
<p>* TUC: <a href="http://www.tuc.org.uk/" title="http://www.tuc.org.uk/">http://www.tuc.org.uk/</a></p>
<p>[Ekk/3]</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Economy and PoliticsNews Briefalternative economicsausteritydebtlow paytrades union congresstucUK NewsThu, 12 Feb 2015 08:25:55 +0000staff writers21437 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukIMF cancels $100 million of Ebola debt after intense pressurehttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21423
<!-- google_ad_section_start --><div class="field field-type-text field-field-teaser">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>The IMF has announced that it will cancel almost $100 million of debt owed by Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-body">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced that it will cancel almost $100 million of debt owed by Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, while lending $160 million in new loans.</p>
<p>The decision follows intense pressure from grassroots organisations and international and national NGOs.</p>
<p>Tim Jones, Policy Officer at Jubilee Debt Campaign in Britain, commented: “The cancellation of debt payments coming due over the next two to four years is a welcome step in helping with the impact of Ebola. But the lending of more money means that Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone’s debt will actually increase. Grants should be given to cope with the impact of Ebola, not more loans which leave an unjust debt to be repaid over the next decade.”</p>
<p>Abu Bakarr Kamara from the Budget Accountability Network in Sierra Leone added: “This is good news .The debt relief by IMF is a welcome one for Sierra Leone. However, the devastation caused by Ebola on our health system requires sustained and progressive investment in the health sector for the next five years. Cancelling all Sierra Leone’s debt would contribute greatly to improve our health systems hence contributing towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.”</p>
<p>The debt of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to the IMF will increase from $410 million to $620 million over the next three years, despite this debt cancellation, because of new loans. The IMF has made almost $9 billion in surplus from its lending over the last three years, which is sitting unspent in its reserves.</p>
<p>Tim Jones continued: “The IMF can easily afford to cancel all the $620 million debt of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone which will remain. It should do so. Moreover, other lenders should also cancel debts owed to them. The three countries are due to pay $11 million to the World Bank over the next year. For the World Bank to demand that this money is paid would be scandalous.”</p>
<p>The announcement is implementing a G20 commitment made in November 2014 to provide $300 million of additional “debt relief, grants and loans” to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone through the IMF. In reality, the total debt relief and loans that have been announced total only $260 million.</p>
<p>Ekklesia supports the work of the Jubilee Debt Campaign. </p>
<p>* Jubilee Debt Campaign: <a href="http://jubileedebt.org.uk/" title="http://jubileedebt.org.uk/">http://jubileedebt.org.uk/</a></p>
<p>[Ekk/3]</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Economy and PoliticsGlobalisation and DevelopmentPeople and PowerNews Briefdebtebolajubilee debt campaignSierra LeoneWorld NewsSat, 07 Feb 2015 11:53:24 +0000staff writers21423 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukDebt relief for Greece makes economic and moral sensehttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21412
<p><a href="http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21412" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Economy and PoliticsPeople and PowerNews Briefalternative economicsausteritydebteconomicsEurozonegreeceBlogTue, 03 Feb 2015 06:16:30 +0000Press Office21412 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukSyriza has to tackle embedded tax abusehttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21373
<p><a href="http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21373" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Economy and PoliticsNews Briefdebtdebt crisisgreecegreekrichard murphySyrizataxtax justicetaxationBlogMon, 26 Jan 2015 09:36:08 +0000staff writers21373 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukUnderstanding the significance of the Greek debt crisishttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21372
<p><a href="http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21372" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Economy and PoliticsGlobalisation and DevelopmentNews Briefdebtdebt cancellationdebt crisisgreecegreekjubilee debt campaignSyrizaBlogMon, 26 Jan 2015 09:14:35 +0000Tim Jones21372 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukGerman post-war debt cancellation shows 'right way to solve EU crisis'http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21371
<!-- google_ad_section_start --><div class="field field-type-text field-field-teaser">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>The election of anti-austerity coalition Syriza in the parliamentary elections in Greece opens up a new path for tackling debt, say reformers.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-body">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>German debt cancellation after the Second World War shows the equitable way to solve Europe’s crisis in the wake of the election of anti-austerity coalition Syriza in the 2015 parliamentary elections in Greece.</p>
<p>That is the response of debt campaigners. monetary reformers and those wanting to restructure the banking and finance sector in Greece and beyond. </p>
<p>A combination of the crashing of the economy and bailout loans made on reckless terms means Greek government debt has grown from 133% of GDP in 2010 to 174% today.</p>
<p>The election in Greece comes just a month before the sixty-second anniversary of Germany’s historic post-war debt cancellation. </p>
<p>These developments should be marked by demanding an end to the policies being imposed on indebted countries by the International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank, says the Jubilee Debt Campaign, which is supported by a range of NGOs, including the beliefs and values think-tank Ekklesia. </p>
<p>Alexis Tsipras, the leader of Syriza and Prime Minister designate in Greece says that "austerity is not the solution to a crisis; austerity IS the crisis we are facing, and which has caused devastation to our country."</p>
<p>German, Irish, Spanish and British campaigners have said Germany’s 1953 debt cancellation, agreed by countries including the US, UK, France, Greece, Spain and Pakistan, prove that the Troika’s policies in Europe will continue to have a disastrous impact.</p>
<p>The debt cancellation contrasts markedly with how debtor countries such as Greece, Ireland and Spain are being treated today, including by Germany, their largest creditor. While Germany was given deep, comprehensive debt cancellation, peripheral European countries today have been had very late, fragmented and shallow relief. </p>
<p>While Germany’s debt repayments were limited to 3% of export earnings, Greece today is spending well over ten times that. While Germany was offered negotiation to deal with further problems, southern Europe has faced harsh and undemocratic sanctions.</p>
<p>Back in 2013, the sixtieth anniversary of the German debt deal, Nick Dearden, currently director of Global Justice Now, which works for a world where resources are in the hands of the many not the few, commented: “The deal struck in 1953 meant western Europe was reconstructed successfully and thrived. Today Europe has been forced into its worst crisis since the Second World War by the actions of Europe’s leaders.</p>
<p>“If we had no evidence of how to solve a debt crisis equitably, we could perhaps regard the policies of Europe’s leaders as misguided. But we have the positive example of Germanyin 1953, and the devastating example of the Latin American debt crisis some 30 years ago. The actions of Europe’s leaders are nothing short of criminal,” said Deardon, then with Jubilee Debt Campaign. </p>
<p>Yesterday (25 January 2015), with the news coming out of Greece, he said on social media: "Syriza activists must remember what Franklin D Roosevelt told trade unionists in 1932: 'I agree with you, I want to do it, now make me do it'. Solidarity [is the way]."</p>
<p>"Greece becomes [the] first country in [the] EU to reclaim its economic policy from the Troika. Syriza's victory is for all of us. Now the work starts," he added. </p>
<p>The debt cancellation for Germany in 1953 was swift, taking place in advance of West Germany struggling to pay its debts. </p>
<p>In contrast, when Greece’s huge debts were revealed in 2010, rather than any being cancelled, the IMF and EU gave bailout loans. This paid off some of the reckless lenders, but the debt remained, and rapidly grew as austerity and debt payments crashed the economy.</p>
<p>A different way forward is needed in 2015, say campaigners and analysts of five years of failed austerity policy which have increased Greece's debt, cut its GDP by a quarter, increased regular unemployment by a third, left half of young people out of work, and created three million people living on the breadline - while bankers continue to line their pockets. </p>
<p>* How Europe cancelled Germany's debt (*.PDF Adobe Acrobat document): <a href="http://issuu.com/dropthedebt/docs/how_europe_cancelled_germany_s_debt/1?e=0" title="http://issuu.com/dropthedebt/docs/how_europe_cancelled_germany_s_debt/1?e=0">http://issuu.com/dropthedebt/docs/how_europe_cancelled_germany_s_debt/1?e=0</a></p>
<p>* Jubilee Debt Campaign: <a href="http://jubileedebt.org.uk" title="http://jubileedebt.org.uk">http://jubileedebt.org.uk</a></p>
<p>* Global Justice Now (formerly the World Development Movement) <a href="http://www.globaljustice.org.uk" title="http://www.globaljustice.org.uk">http://www.globaljustice.org.uk</a></p>
<p>* Nick Dearden of GJN on Twitter: @nickdearden75 </p>
<p>* More on Syriza from Ekklesia: <a href="http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/syriza" title="http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/syriza">http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/syriza</a></p>
<p>[Ekk/3]</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Economy and PoliticsGlobalisation and DevelopmentPeople and PowerNews Briefdebtdebt cancellationGermanyglobal justice nowgreecegreekjubilee debt campaignSyrizaWorld Development MovementWorld NewsMon, 26 Jan 2015 08:56:55 +0000staff writers21371 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukOsborne policies a 'spectacular failure', says NEFhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21112
<p><a href="http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21112" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Economy and PoliticsNews Briefautumn statementchancellordebtdeficitGeorge OsborneOsborneBlogThu, 04 Dec 2014 15:40:28 +0000Simon Barrow21112 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukBrazilians triumph in 'David v Goliath' tax battlehttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21088
<!-- google_ad_section_start --><div class="field field-type-text field-field-teaser">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>Poor Brazilian farmers have won a David v Goliath battle to be exempted from huge tax demands for land where they have lived and worked for over a century.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-body">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>Thousands of poor Brazilians are celebrating victory in a David v Goliath-style battle to be exempted from huge tax demands for land on which they have lived and worked for more than 100 years.</p>
<p>Several Quilombola communities – the descendants of African slaves and one of the most socially excluded groups in Brazil – were hit by bills as high as £4 million after winning collective legal ownership to the land in recent years. </p>
<p>The Quilombola live simple lives, relying mainly on subsistence farming and the small amount they make from the sale of forest produce such as Brazil nuts, açaí berries and cassava flour.</p>
<p>The tax bills – levied ironically because the Quilombola left intact the trees on which their incomes depend, leading the authorities to deem the land ‘unproductive’ – meant they faced the prospect of losing all they had fought to secure, says the UK-based churches' global development agency Christian Aid</p>
<p>To fight the demands, Christian Aid’s partner organisation CPI (Pro-Indian Commission) in São Paulo secured pro-bono legal help from lawyers Bichara, Barata &amp; Costa Advogados. As well as initiating a legal challenge, CPI and the lawyers lobbied the Brazilian government and parliament to withdraw the demands as unjust. </p>
<p>It was feared the struggle could take many years, but in October, Brazil’s Senate voted to exempt the Quilombola land from the tax, and this month the country’s President Dilma Roussef signed the reform into law. </p>
<p>Edilson da Conceição Cardoso da Costa, leader of the Arapapuzinho community, said this week: “For us this is more than just a victory, it marks our liberation. This debt made it impossible for us to do anything despite the rights we had under the Brazilian Constitution and ILO Convention No.169 [a legally binding international instrument of the International Labour Organisation which deals specifically with the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples.]</p>
<p>“All the hopes that we had built up during the struggle for our land were dashed. The victory over these unfair tax demands is like a door opening wide for these rights to reach our communities. </p>
<p>“We hope that this will be a landmark in the history of the Quilombola/Afro-Brazilian communities in Brazil. Many people died in the struggle for land. We will not give up the fight that our ancestors started, their blood won’t have been shed for nothing.” </p>
<p>Lucia M.M. de Andrade of CPI said: "The extent of this achievement is greater than just the amnesty of the Quilombola’s tax debts. It's another step towards official recognition of the collective way in which Quilombola own their land – something which went unnoticed when Brazil’s land tax law was passed. </p>
<p>“This meant that the Quilombola did not get the treatment they deserved. The latest change in the law corrects this distortion and solves a problem that has concerned us since 2011 when the Quilombola first requested our support.”</p>
<p>Mara Luz, Deputy Head of Christian Aid in Latin America, said: “We are overjoyed. The new law benefits thousands of families in the Amazon area of Brazil. They need no longer live in fear. </p>
<p>“Furthermore, now their tax debts have been cancelled, the Quilombola can get social and financial benefits from the Brazilian government. This will help them thrive.”</p>
<p>She added: “This story shows how the tax system, which sometimes seems so far removed from daily life, affects communities and generates inequality. But it is also evidence of how work at grassroots level, combined with pro bono legal work and political lobbying rooted in the community, can achieve dramatic change. CPI and the lawyers have achieved more than we ever dared to hope for.”</p>
<p>[Ekk/4]</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Community and FamilyEconomy and PoliticsRace and IdentityNews Briefbrazilchristian aiddebtindigenous peoplesmall farmerstaxationWorld NewsSat, 29 Nov 2014 21:49:53 +0000agency reporter21088 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukBunk beds and capitalismhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21073
<p><a href="http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21073" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Economy and PoliticsNews Briefchild povertydebteconomic recoverypovertyBlogSat, 22 Nov 2014 17:07:31 +0000Bernadette Meaden21073 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukLending boom threatens new debt crises in poor countrieshttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/20934
<!-- google_ad_section_start --><div class="field field-type-text field-field-teaser">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>New figures predict that current rates of lending could lead to debts becoming unsustainable in many impoverished countries over the next decade.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-body">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>New figures released this week predict that current rates of lending could lead to debts becoming unsustainable in many impoverished countries over the next decade, just a few years after some had debts cancelled.</p>
<p>Based on analysis of official IMF and World Bank data, the Jubilee Debt Campaign has calculated that two-thirds of impoverished countries face large increases in the share of government income spent on debt payments over the next ten years. </p>
<p>On average, current lending levels will lead to increases of between 85 per cent and 250 per cent in the share of income spent on debt payments, depending on whether economies grow rapidly, or are impacted by economic shocks.</p>
<p>Even if high growth rates are achieved, a quarter of impoverished countries would still see the share of government income spent on debt payments increase rapidly.</p>
<p>Sarah-Jayne Clifton, Director of the Jubilee Debt Campaign, said: “There is a real risk that today’s lending boom is sowing the seeds of a new debt crisis in the developing world, threatening to reverse recent gains in the fight against poverty and inequality. </p>
<p>"The $130 billion of debt cancellation agreed in the 2000s has given countries in Africa and Latin America valuable breathing space to spend scarce government funds on fighting poverty and providing essential public services. But the failure to reform the global debt system so that the root causes of debt crises are addressed means history may be set to repeat itself.”</p>
<p>The figures are based on IMF and World Bank Debt Sustainability Assessments carried out over the last year for 43 impoverished countries.</p>
<p>For these countries, 50 per cent of lending is currently from multilateral institutions such as the IMF, World Bank and African Development Bank; 33 per cent from other governments and 17 per cent from the private sector.</p>
<p>For this sample of 43 countries, Jubilee Debt Campaign has calculated the number of countries where debt payments increase by more than five percentage points of government income for three possible scenarios for the next decade. </p>
<p>The calculations show that:<br />
* 11 countries (26 per cent) are at risk even if IMF and World Bank predictions of continuous high economic growth over the next decade are met.<br />
* 25 countries (58 per cent) are at risk if IMF and World Bank estimates of one economic shock over the next decade actually take place.<br />
* 29 countries (67 per cent) are at risk if growth is lower than IMF and World Bank predictions, but still substantial.</p>
<p>For example, Ghana’s external debt payments are predicted by the IMF and World Bank to increase from 12 per cent of government income today to 25 per cent by 2023 even if the economy grows by 5.6 per cent a year. If the West African country suffers one economic shock, debt payments would increase to 37 per cent of income. If the country experiences lower economic growth over the next decade, payments would rise to 50 per cent of government income.</p>
<p>In Haiti, debt payments are predicted to increase from three per cent of income today to 14 per cent by 2024. However, with one economic shock they rise to 22 per cent of income, and 31 per cent if growth is lower.</p>
<p>Both Ghana and Haiti had some debts cancelled in 2004 and 2009 respectively. However, in both cases debt payments are predicted to be a greater share of government income by the 2020s than they were before countries received debt relief. In total, of the 25 countries in the study which have had some debts cancelled, between 28 per cent and 64 per cent will have debt payments as high or higher than before debt relief over the next decade, depending on how economies perform.</p>
<p>Sarah-Jayne Clifton continued: “The shocking thing is that public bodies like the World Bank are leading the lending boom, not just reckless private lenders hunting for returns. Urgent measures are needed now to prevent a new debt crisis, including less aid money being given as ‘loans’, and the creation of a fair, independent and comprehensive debt arbitration process so that irresponsible lenders know they will no longer be bailed out for their reckless actions.”</p>
<p>The Jubilee Debt Campaign is part of a global movement demanding freedom from the slavery of unjust debts and a new financial system that puts people first.</p>
<p>* Read the full research report here (*.PDF Adobe Acrobat document): <a href="http://jubileedebt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Lending-boom-research_10.14.pdf" title="http://jubileedebt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Lending-boom-research_10.14.pdf">http://jubileedebt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Lending-boom-resear...</a> </p>
<p>* Jubilee Debt Campaign: <a href="http://jubileedebt.org.uk" title="http://jubileedebt.org.uk">http://jubileedebt.org.uk</a></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Economy and PoliticsGlobalisation and DevelopmentNews Briefdebtjubilee debt campaignlendingWorld NewsSat, 11 Oct 2014 23:33:48 +0000agency reporter20934 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukLiberals versus radicals at Greenbelthttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/20779
<!-- google_ad_section_start --><div class="field field-type-text field-field-teaser">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>Three days after returning from Greenbelt, I've had some time to process my impressions of this year's festival. I've realised that the main division at Greenbelt - a leading Christian festival - is not between liberals and conservatives but between liberals and radicals.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-body">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>It has been three days since I arrived back from the Greenbelt festival, washed my muddy clothes, cut off my wristband and had a very satisfying bath. I'm still a bit tired from four nights under canvas and late-night conversations in the Tiny Tea Tent, but I've had some time to process my impressions of the festival.</p>
<p>Greenbelt is a Christian festival with a reputation for being open-minded and left-of-centre. This was my tenth Greenbelt (and my eighth consecutive one). Since I first went in 2001, there has definitely been a shift: most attenders are fine with same-sex relationships and I hear more radically left-wing comments than I used to. </p>
<p>It would be wrong to imagine that Greenbelt is devoid of political or religious conservatives (nor would I want to put the them off attending). Nonetheless, I've realised that the main division at Greenbelt is not between liberals and conservatives but between liberals and radicals.</p>
<p>The dominant strand of thought at Greenbelt is left-of-centre in political and economic terms and either liberal or middle-of-the-road in theological terms. But alongside this runs another, more progressive strand, that champions radical change in society and links this with a theology that notes the subversiveness of Jesus' teaching and the radicalism of focusing on the Kingdom of God.</p>
<p>Of course, I am generalising. People at Greenbelt, and sessions at Greenbelt, do not all fit easily into one of these two camps. But I could see the distinction in at least two major areas.</p>
<p>Firstly, the distinction was visible in debates on economic issues. I attended a panel discussion on debt. From the description in the programme, I expected it to link personal debt, international debt and the theology of debt. Tim Jones of the Jubilee Debt Campaign did a great job of combining these themes in a rousing talk. Some other members of the panel, while focusing mostly on personal debt, made some radical points and linked them with the Bible's condemnation of usury.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, things got a lot less promising when we moved on to practical discussion. Nearly all of the audience questions concerned personal debt. Most of them were framed in terms of how “we” can help impoverished people. The “we” seemed to refer to middle class Christians. </p>
<p>While I'm pleased to see middle class people wanting to support people in poverty, most of the discussion smacked of charity rather than solidarity. There was a lot of talk giving financial advice to people in debt (meaning people in poverty of course, rather than middle class people with mortgages). Of course, debt advice can be helpful but there is a thin line between recognising this and implying that bad financial management is the cause of poverty. No amount of advice will enable you to manage something that you don't have. </p>
<p>It felt very much like a group of middle class liberals talking about the poor rather than listening to them. I got so frustrated that I left before the end (so if it all got a lot more radical and inclusive in the last five minutes, I'm sorry!).</p>
<p>In contrast, a session the next day entitled 'Farewell to welfare' had a much more progressive flavour. Excellently facilitated by Andy Turner, panel members shared their thoughts on ways to resist welfare but most of the contributions came from the floor. Attenders shared experiences and questions from their own communities and people appeared to take away ideas from each other. On the panel, Niall Cooper from Church Action on Poverty and anarchist Anglican priest Keith Hebden, an Ekklesia associate, encouraged Christians to learn from people in poverty. We need to go much further (perhaps next year, Greenbelt can invite some people living in poverty onto the panel!) but it was significantly better than much of what I heard at other sessions. </p>
<p>The contrast between liberal and radical was just as strong on questions of sexuality and marriage. One of the most popular events of the festival was a panel discussion on marriage on the Saturday afternoon. It was chaired by Vicky Beeching, the evangelical singer who had come out as gay only ten days earlier. I happily stood to join in the standing ovation for Vicky, whose courage and faith have inspired so many of us. Most of the panel were positive about same-sex marriage, with Sara Miles making some particularly powerful points about the situation in the US and how ideas of marriage have changed through history. </p>
<p>The debate focussed on long-standing questions and arguments about same-sex couples, divorce and singleness. These are important issues but the discussion rarely moved away from relatively safe and familiar issues (I recognise, of course, that these issues would not be safe and familiar in other contexts, but they are largely so at Greenbelt). I was disappointed to hear several people welcome the Pilling Commission, a long-winded Anglican consultation on sexuality that functions largely as a delaying tactic and a block on progress (however well-meaning some of those involved may be). </p>
<p>There was a massive contrast between this relatively tame debate and a session on marriage that was held at 11.00pm the night before. The late-night debate was part of 'Hothouse', a series of sessions exploring particularly controversial issues through short presentations and small-group discussions. </p>
<p>The session asked whether Christians should be supporting marriage at all. Church of England priest Miranda Threlfall-Holmes argued that 'marriage' in biblical times and 'marriage' today are such different institutions that they should not have the same name. Rachel Mann, another Church of England priest and good friend of Ekklesia, explored Jesus' teaching on families and suggested that the Church today is “fetishising” marriage. Marika Rose, a theologian from Durham University, argued that polyamory could be ethical for Christians. </p>
<p>I agreed with some of these arguments more than others. The audience responses and small-group discussions varied considerably. But here we were getting stuck into complex and overlooked issues that can be as difficult for Christians to raise in 'inclusive' settings as it is to speak positively about LGBT people in many conservative churches. </p>
<p>The discussions were shot through with reflection on Jesus and biblical teaching. The whole session was a reminder that theology and thinking are dangerous activities. So is seeking to follow Jesus. </p>
<p>As usual, I enjoyed Greenbelt: the debates, the worship, the conversations with friends and strangers, the songs of Grace Petrie and Jonny and the Baptists, the great session on <em>The Life of Brian</em>, the Tiny Tea Tent, the main communion service and the friendliness around the site. But progressive Christians can get as comfortable and exclusive as conservative ones. We need to remember that it is a long step from liberalism to radicalism, from centre-left politics to the wonderful, subversive, frightening, life-giving Kingdom of God. </p>
<p>----------</p>
<p>(c) <strong>Symon Hill</strong> is a Christian activist and author. He is an associate of Ekklesia and a tutor for the Workers' Educational Association. In 2011, he walked from Birmingham to London as a pilgrimage of repentance for his former homophobia.</p>
<p>For links to more of Symon's work, please visit <a href="http://www.symonhill.wordpress.com" title="http://www.symonhill.wordpress.com">http://www.symonhill.wordpress.com</a>.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Economy and PoliticsReligion and SocietySex and GenderNews Briefanarchismchurch action on povertydebtGreenbeltLGBTmarriagepolyamorysame-sex marriageSymon HillFri, 29 Aug 2014 17:58:49 +0000Symon Hill20779 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukHousing support cuts 'risk putting families into debt', says charityhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/20362
<!-- google_ad_section_start --><div class="field field-type-text field-field-teaser">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>The Children's Society has made a strong response to the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee report on housing support in the reformed welfare system.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-body">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>The Children's Society has made a strong response to the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee report on housing support in the reformed welfare system. </p>
<p>Matthew Reed, Chief Executive of The Children’s Society, commented: “This report shines a spotlight on the damage that some of the government’s changes to housing support are causing many of the UK’s poorest children and families. </p>
<p>“Cuts to support for families renting their home and changes to the way rents are paid, threaten to put families – many that are already struggling to provide their children with the basics – into debt and, in some cases, risk homelessness. </p>
<p>“The government must act on the committee’s recommendations, including by monitoring whether these changes cause families to lose their homes, and by giving families the option of having their rent paid direct to their landlord.</p>
<p>“A decent, affordable home is not a luxury, it is a necessity. The government must make sure that none of its policies denies any child this basic right,” Mr Reed said. </p>
<p>The Children's Society works with families from all backgrounds, but has its roots in church philanthropy. </p>
<p>* The Children's Society: <a href="http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk" title="www.childrenssociety.org.uk">www.childrenssociety.org.uk</a></p>
<p>[Ekk/3]</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Community and FamilyEconomy and PoliticsNews Briefchildren's societycutsdebtfamiliesgovernment cutshousingpoor familiesUK NewsWed, 02 Apr 2014 21:53:45 +0000staff writers20362 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukOne in eleven face rent or mortgage trouble this January, says charityhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/19830
<!-- google_ad_section_start --><div class="field field-type-text field-field-teaser">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>One in eleven people in Britain fear they will not be able to afford their rent or mortgage at the end of this month, according to new research from Shelter.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-body">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>One in eleven people in Britain fear they will not be able to afford their rent or mortgage at the end of this month, according to new research from the housing and homelessness charity Shelter released today (3 January)</p>
<p>The research, based on a YouGov survey of over 4,000 British adults, shows household budgets across the country at breaking point, and suggests that millions of people will start the New Year worried about keeping their homes.</p>
<p>Families are the worst affected, with over 70 per cent of rent or mortgage payers with children currently struggling or falling behind with their payments, compared to 63 per cent of the general population.</p>
<p>Shelter warns that many people, feeling overwhelmed by money worries, will put off overdue bills until it’s too late, placing their homes at risk.</p>
<p>The findings revealed a worrying trend of people unable to face up to their financial difficulties, with nearly one in five saying they’ve not opened post if they thought it was a bill or late payment reminder.</p>
<p>With over one in three expecting to struggle with their rent or mortgage in 2014, the charity is urging anyone worried about their housing costs to get help as early as possible by visiting <a href="http://shelter.org.uk/advice" title="http://shelter.org.uk/advice">http://shelter.org.uk/advice</a>.</p>
<p>Shelter’s advisers regularly see cases where people do not ask for help until they reach crisis point. As it gets tougher to pay all the bills, people often feel overwhelmed and unsure where to turn, says the charity.</p>
<p>Liz Clare, a helpline adviser at Shelter, says: "We’re now seeing a stream of cases of families who’ve been unable to cope with mounting rent or mortgage bills and feel at breaking point."</p>
<p>She added: "We hear from people every day who are struggling, so you are not alone. Our message to anyone struggling to pay their rent or mortgage is that we’re on your side. Come to us for help early on for the best chance of keeping your home."</p>
<p>Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said: "It’s a worrying sign of the times that so many are starting the New Year worried about how they’ll pay their rent or mortgage in 2014. Unless they get help, some of the families struggling now could face the very real prospect of losing their home this year."</p>
<p>[Ekk/4]</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Community and FamilyEconomy and PoliticsNews Briefdebthousing costsmortgagesrentshelterUK NewsFri, 03 Jan 2014 10:41:03 +0000agency reporter19830 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukLift debt burden to help Philippines typhoon victims, say NGOshttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/19688
<!-- google_ad_section_start --><div class="field field-type-text field-field-teaser">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>The enormous financial burden the Philippines labours under in servicing international debt must be lifted, says Christian Aid and other NGOs.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-body">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>The enormous financial burden the Philippines labours under in servicing international debt while struggling to recover from Typhoon Haiyan and prepare for future emergencies must be lifted, Christian Aid and other agencies are saying.</p>
<p>The UK-based churches' global development agency has joined with the Jubilee Debt Campaign (UK), the Freedom from Debt Coalition (the Philippines) and Jubilee South (Asia Pacific Movement on Debt and Development) in calling for the cancellation of the Philippines debt – at present standing at about $60 billion.</p>
<p>More than $20 million a day - $8 billion a year – leaves the Philippines as interest payments to international lenders. Since Typhoon Haiyan struck a month ago, killing more than 5,000 people and damaging or destroying more than a million homes, over $550 million (£335 million) has gone on debt repayment.</p>
<p>The debt largely originated during the days of the Marcos regime when western governments and institutions, such as the World Bank, supported the dictator with loans to keep him on side during the Cold War.</p>
<p>Lending totalled around $115 billion. Interest charges have meant that while some $132 billion has been repaid, another $60 billion remains outstanding. The government says debt servicing accounts for some 20 per cent of revenue a year.</p>
<p>Following Typhoon Haiyan, the World Bank and Asian Development Bank both announced loans totalling $1 billion to help with rebuilding, but this will further increase the country’s debt at a time when the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation is reporting losses of $261 million to agriculture and related infrastructure alone.</p>
<p>Estimates of the cost of rebuilding range between $6.5 billion and $15 billion.</p>
<p>Joseph Stead, Senior Economic Justice Adviser at Christian Aid, commented: "The Philippines is prone to natural disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes. Debts that should have been cancelled years ago are limiting the country’s capacity to respond and prepare for future emergencies. Action on this is clearly needed before any new debts are added."</p>
<p>Sarah-Jayne Clifton, Director of Jubilee Debt Campaign, said: "The Philippines urgently needs funding for relief and reconstruction efforts, as well as to adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change and support communities who live in areas that are beyond adaptation. International lenders should put life before debt and cancel the Philippines’ foreign debt obligations as a matter of urgency.’</p>
<p>Ricardo Reyes, Freedom from Debt Coalition President, said: ‘Justice for the Filipino people demands debt cancellation, especially the illegitimate debts, which are odious, onerous, illegal, violate human rights, harmful to the people, environment and climate, and bereft of institutional processes and the consent of the people. Climate justice demands reparations to enable the Philippines to develop resilience to climate change and compensation for losses and damages."</p>
<p>The Jubilee Debt Campaign, Freedom from Debt Coalition, Jubilee South (Asia) and Christian Aid and have now launched a petition calling on lenders such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank to cancel the Philippines’ debt. It can be signed at: <a href="http://jubileedebt.org.uk/actions/philippines-life-before-debt" title="http://jubileedebt.org.uk/actions/philippines-life-before-debt">http://jubileedebt.org.uk/actions/philippines-life-before-debt</a></p>
<p>Following the global jubilee movement calling for debt cancellation or repudiation of developing country debts, $130 billion of debt has been cancelled, mainly for African countries. The Philippines was excluded from the scheme because it was judged by the IMF and World Bank to be ‘too rich’.</p>
<p>However, over 15 million people in the Philippines are malnourished, and a similar number live in extreme poverty. The numbers have changed little since Ferdinand Marcos was removed from power in 1986.</p>
<p>The money lent was often of little benefit to the country. Loans included finance for a nuclear power plant built on an earthquake fault line and which never generated any electricity.</p>
<p>[Ekk/3]</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Economy and PoliticsGlobalisation and DevelopmentNews Briefchristian aiddebtjubilee debt campaignphilippinestyphoontyphoon HaiyanWorld NewsMon, 16 Dec 2013 10:34:02 +0000agency reporter19688 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukCall for halt to Philippines $8bn debt payments after typhoonhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/19593
<!-- google_ad_section_start --><div class="field field-type-text field-field-teaser">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>A month after Typhoon Haiyan, three leading development NGOs are calling for the debt of the Philippines to be cancelled.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-body">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p>A month after Typhoon Haiyan, Jubilee Debt Campaign (UK) and Christian Aid have joined with the Freedom from Debt Coalition (the Philippines) and Jubilee South (Asia Pacific Movement on Debt and Development) to call the debt of the Philippines to be cancelled.</p>
<p>Over $20 million a day - $8 billion a year – leaves the Philippines as debt payments to international lenders. Since Typhoon Haiyan struck on 8 November 201, over $550 million (£335 million) has been spent on debt payments.</p>
<p>Due to interest payments over the last 40 years, the Philippines has been lent $115 billion, repaid $132 billion, but is still said to owe $60 billion.</p>
<p>The Philippines' large debt originated with the regime of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, when western governments and institutions, such as the World Bank, supported the leader with loans to keep him on side during the Cold War. </p>
<p>Loans included to build a nuclear power plant which never generated any electricity, and was built on an earthquake fault line. After decades of paying high debts, the Philippines government still spends over 20 per cent of its revenue on foreign debt payments.</p>
<p>Since Typhoon Haiyan hit the archipelago, the World Bank and Asian Development Bank have both announced loans totalling $1 billion, to ‘help’ with rebuilding following the devastation, but this will just further increase the Philippines debt. Estimates have started to put the costs of rebuilding following the typhoon at between $6.5 billion and $15 billion.</p>
<p>Sarah-Jayne Clifton, Director of Jubilee Debt Campaign, commented: “The Philippines urgently needs funding for relief and reconstruction efforts, as well as to adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change and support communities who live in areas that are beyond adaptation. International lenders should put life before debt and cancel the Philippines foreign debt obligations as a matter of urgency.”</p>
<p>Joseph Stead, Senior Economic Justice Adviser at Christian Aid added: “Debts that should have been cancelled years ago are limiting the capacity of the Philippines to respond and rebuild to the typhoon. Action on this is clearly needed before any new debts are added.”</p>
<p>“Justice for the Filipino people demands debt cancellation, especially the illegitimate debts, which are odious, onerous, illegal, violate human rights, harmful to the people, environment and climate, and bereft of institutional processes and the consent of the people. Climate justice demands reparations to enable the Philippines to develop resilience to climate change and compensation for losses and damages,” said Ricardo Reyes, Freedom from Debt Coalition president.</p>
<p>Freedom from Debt Coalition, Jubilee South (Asia), Christian Aid and Jubilee Debt Campaign have launched a petition calling on lenders such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank to cancel Philippines debt.</p>
<p>Following the global jubilee movement calling for debt cancellation or repudiation of developing country debts, $130 billion of debt has been cancelled, mainly for African countries. The Philippines was excluded from the scheme because it was judged by the IMF and World Bank to be ‘too rich’. </p>
<p>However, over 15 million people in the Philippines are malnourished and similar numbers live in extreme poverty. The numbers have changed little since Ferdinand Marcos was removed from power in 1986.</p>
<p>Ekklesia is a supporter of the Jubilee Debt Campaign, and works in partnership with Christian Aid. </p>
<p>* The petition can be signed at:<br />
<a href="http://jubileedebt.org.uk/actions/philippines-life-before-debt" title="http://jubileedebt.org.uk/actions/philippines-life-before-debt">http://jubileedebt.org.uk/actions/philippines-life-before-debt</a></p>
<p>* A running total of payments since Typhoon Haiyan is available on the same website.</p>
<p>[Ekk/3]</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Globalisation and DevelopmentNews Briefchristian aiddebtjubilee debt campaignphilippinestyphoontyphoon HaiyanWorld NewsThu, 05 Dec 2013 12:21:01 +0000staff writers19593 at http://www.ekklesia.co.uk